The aim of this thesis paper is to understand the change in the relationship between libraries and society as part of the effects of today’s changes in technology, to analyze how this change is a...Show moreThe aim of this thesis paper is to understand the change in the relationship between libraries and society as part of the effects of today’s changes in technology, to analyze how this change is a reflection of how the very structure of information is being altered by the ways it is conveyed through digital platforms, and to trace its social impact. We are a culture of the book, the way we perceive and interact with the world has been shaped by the implications of print culture, and now this way is being transformed by the implications of digital culture. The different properties attributed to digital technologies enable people to have a more active and significant role in the construction of knowledge in culture.Show less
The desire to gain the sense of belonging to the world of writers motivates many aspiring writers to buy creative writing how-to books as owning such books is a way to construct a self-image of...Show moreThe desire to gain the sense of belonging to the world of writers motivates many aspiring writers to buy creative writing how-to books as owning such books is a way to construct a self-image of being a writer. They use creative writing books as accessories allowing them to embody the writer's role. Because of this strong - however unrealistic - desire to belong to the writer's world, aspiring writers are an easy target for publishers and authors of creative writing manuals. Persuading amateurs that it is possible to become a part of this world is the main marketing strategy of authors and publishers of creative writing guidebooks being aware of the motivation of their target audience.Show less
In this thesis, I have looked at the influence of the internet on academic publishing and, as a consequence, academic culture and practice. I have tried to present a plausible narrative on how...Show moreIn this thesis, I have looked at the influence of the internet on academic publishing and, as a consequence, academic culture and practice. I have tried to present a plausible narrative on how academic work on a daily basis has changed and what consequences there are for the role of books. The efficient digital distribution of journal articles through the digital library have made the article relevant in two new ways: (1) it is now the single most important means of scholarly output, at the cost of books; and (2) it is almost always accessed digitally, often not through the journal title, but directly through a full bibliographical reference search request or as one of the results of a search query on topic, key word or other sort of search entry. The instant availability of almost all peer-reviewed journal articles ever published is a great contribution to the world of science, for obvious reasons. It comes with certain costs to it as well, however. Finding and accessing articles with such ease makes the book a relatively more difficult-to-access item. Especially for a new generation of students, the book seems less relevant. They are presented with articles more than books, and come from a background in which books are less prominent. For scholars, an article is easier to write than a book, but it counts as more when their citation indices are put together. A vicious circle comes into being. As an academic’s publication record becomes more important in order to keep his job, he will choose to write more articles. University libraries focus on presenting the articles efficiently in a digital manner and make the library into a computer workspace instead of a place for searching and reading books. The digital availability of articles leads to less diversity in sources and the older the titles the less they are cited. Publishing companies are faced with lower demand for books and are struggling to make ends meet financially. Every step of this circle in itself doesn’t lead to a catastrophe, but it is the feedback loop that strengthens itself and the aggregate outcome that causes us to be worried about the future of books in academia.Show less
